Weigh-box



(No Model.)

H. LAUGHL'IN & E. BAUMGARDNER.

. WEIGH BOX. No. 284,864. Patented Sept. 11, 1883.

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HUGH LAUGHLIN AND EMET BAUMGARDNER, OF EAST PALESTINE, OHIO.

WEIGH-IBOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 284,864, dated September 11, 1883.

Application filed August 1, 1888.

To all whom, it may concern:

' Be it known that we, HUGH LAUGI-ILIN and Email BAUMGARDNER, residing at East Palestine, county of Oolumbiana, and State of Ohio, have made certain new and useful Improvements in \VeiglrBoxes; and we do hereby declare the following to be a description of the same, and of the manner of constructing and using the invention, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it appertains to construct and use the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part of the specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained, and the best mode in which we have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The main purpose I for which the box is intended is to weigh coal and load it on cars at coal-chutes. Heretoforc weighing-boxes have delivered the coal from out their ends. Our box is designed to deliver the coal from its bottom. The object is to adapt the box so that as soon as it is filled with coal and weighed a door in the bottom may be dropped and the coal dumped on the car, said bottom door then returning automatically and immediately into closed position, whereupon the box is ready for a repetition of the above operation. By such a contrivance a single person may attend to the weighing and loading of the coal on the car, and as no strength is required a boy of ten or twelve years can serve as weighingmaster. The box may be of any suitable form, preferably oblong, open at the top and upper end for the reception of the coal, and is suspended by suitable means from the scales. Such a contrivance, as will be seen, saves 1abor, reduces the number of employs usually necessary in weighing and loading coal, and delivers the coal in better condition than in the old form of weighing-boxes.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the box, at about its normal inclination, as suspended from the scales. The dotted lines show the drop-door open and the gravity-weights correspondingly elevated on the free arms of the levers. Fig. 2 is a reverse plan of the box withthe drop-door closed.

A is the box, provided at both longitudinal (No model.)

ends, respectively, by rods B B, which sus-- tends entirely across the end of the box, and

adapts the door to swing therefrom downward under a pressure that exceeds the power of the gravity -balls D. These two balls are re-. spectively connected to two levers, E, and are adapted to be secured thereto at any suitable point by means of clamping-screws (1., Each lever E is pivoted to one side of the lower end of the box, and has movement in a vertical plane. Each of these levers has connected to its extremity opposite to that provided with a gravity-ball a swinging link, F. The'latter has its lower extremity connected to the dropping or free end of the door 0. The latches Ghold said door in closed position, and are unfastened by the hand-lever H. The weighing-master moves said handlever, which in turn loosens the latches, and the door falls. As soon as the coal has been run out of the box the gravityballs operate through levers E and links F to instantlyand automatically raise the door and close it in locked position. The door is then retained closed until the hand-lever again unlatches it. The latches Gare of equal size and length, moving in adequate guides e, and sufficiently lap together under the drop-door to upper or dropping edge of the drop-door has also pivoted to it, on each side, asmall depending rod, J. These rods work, respectively, freely downward in guides c, and are furnished ea'chat their free ends with a c0il-spring, j,

secured from escape by a suitable nut. The design of this is to ease orbreak the fall ofthe swinging door 0, and so protect the levers E and the connecting parts from damaging strains or shocks.

It will be understood that omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made as regards the forms and parts herein set forth, provided the principle of construction and operation embraced in the following claims are retained and employed.

We therefore particularly point out and dis tinctly claim as our invention- 1. Aweigh-box formed with a trap-door and provided with mechanism adapted to automatically raise and lock said door after it has discharged the coal, substantially as set forth.

2. In a weigh-box, the combination, with a drop-door formed in the box-bottom, of a swing ing link having its lower extremity secured to the free end of the door, and aweighted lever fulcrumed to the body of the box and connect ed to the upper extremity of said link, substantially as set forth.

3. In a weigh-box, the combination, with a drop-door formed in the box-bottom and a latch pivoted to the under side of said door, of a catch depending from the side of thebox and adapted to disengage the latch from its catch, substantially asset forth.

4. In a weigh-box, the combination, with ,a drop-door formed in the box -bottom, two latches located on the under side of said door, and having their inner extremities pivoted together, and a spring bearing against said extremities and adapted to automatically lock the latches, of two catchesrespectively depending from opposite sides of the box, and a hand-1ever adapted to engage with one'of said latches, and thereby disengage both said latches from their catches, substantially as set forth.

5.,In a weigh-box, the combination, with a drop-door formed in the box-bottom, of a rod pivoted to the free end of the door, a spring fitted to said rod, and a stop secured to the box-side and adapted to cause said spring to act as a buffer on the drop of the door, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim 'the foregoing to be our invention we have hereunto set our hands this 16th day of July, A. D. 1833.

HUGH LAUGHLIN. EMET BAUMGARDNER.

W'itnesses:

C. I. ROTHWELL, JOHN W. FRANK. 

